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Oops! 2 Florida Men Mistakenly Released From Prison

ORLANDO (CBSMiami/AP) — Two convicted murderers are on the loose after both were mistakenly released from a Florida prison with forged documents, authorities said.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office says Joseph Jenkins and Charles Walker were released separately from a prison in the Panhandle in late September and early October. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement learned about the mistake Tuesday.

"These two individuals are out. They shouldn't be, and we want to get them back in custody," said sheriff's office spokesman Angelo Nieves. "This shouldn't have happened, but it did, and our concern is to get these individuals into custody."

Walker was serving a life sentence on a second-degree murder conviction stemming from a 1999 slaying in Orange County. Jenkins was serving a life sentence for a 1998 first-degree murder conviction in the killing of an Orlando man.

The Florida Department of Corrections says the men were released from the Carrabelle prison according to protocol. However, their releases were ordered based on forged documents filed through the Orange County Clerk of Courts to alter their sentences.

"I don't know how it happened," corrections spokeswoman Jessica Cary said Wednesday.

In a statement, Corrections Secretary Michael Crews said that his agency is "conducting a vigorous and thorough review of releases that were based on modified court orders received from Orange County to ensure that there are no other inmates who have been released based on falsified documents."

State and local authorities are searching for the men and investigating how they got released.

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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